


Solidago

by mddnapstablook



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Hope's Peak Academy (Dangan Ronpa), Alternate Universe - Non-Despair (Dangan Ronpa), Fluff, Implied/Referenced Depression, Implied/Referenced Past Suicide Attempt, M/M, background rantaro/kaede, content warning: miu iruma being miu iruma for the three seconds she's there., flower shop au, i thiiiink that's everything, oh and like two mentions of kaito/maki, refs to past shuichi/angie and past saiouma and past saiguji, shuichi is a florist
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-17
Updated: 2019-03-17
Packaged: 2019-11-21 17:05:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,520
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18145001
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mddnapstablook/pseuds/mddnapstablook
Summary: Shuichi is single, and lonely, but he's used to it. It still kind of sucks seeing his friends be happy in relationships though. When Kaede invites him to a party, he's inclined to say no, but without anything better to do, he goes anyway. It ends up going better than expected.





	Solidago

**Author's Note:**

> brain: you still have a bunch of works in progress.  
> me: ye  
> brain: you still need to finish your saiouma series.  
> me: ye  
> brain: what are you doing.  
> me: heh. saigonta cute.

_Bouquets by Amami_ , for only having been established for a few short months, was already booming in business. Shuichi hums to himself as he carefully adjusts a vase of flowers on the front desk of the shop, gently nudging over a rose to make room to add another violet. Flower arrangements were fun, and he couldn’t deny that he enjoyed working with Rantaro and Kaede, even if he didn’t care about flowers all that much. Even though Rantaro always made Shuichi work mornings, he still couldn’t be happier with his new job. 

Being a detective, like, a real detective for his uncle, it had been satisfying work. Hard, exhausting work with often little pay-off and very bad for his already questionable mental health. It was disheartening to come in and hear about a runaway child or a cheating couple or even the rare murder cases that made Shuichi’s stomach roll. He thought he’d been strong enough for such a career, he’d trained for it his entire life, and when he was a teenager, it was great busy work. But, the fact of the matter is, Shuichi had to admit to himself that he wasn’t cut out to be a detective. It was hard, but he knew it was the right thing to do to resign. 

For a while, Shuichi wasn’t sure what he was supposed to do for work. Technically, he didn’t even need to, honestly, as his parents never stopped sending him money he didn’t need because they were filthy rich, although he tended to think of them more as absent parents than doting parents that spoiled him. 

When Kaede had suggested that Shuichi help out with the shop she was going to be opening with Rantaro, he’d been skeptical. Rantaro was… kind. Sensible, even, but he was also prone to doing whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted. And now he wanted to open a flower shop with his girlfriend, but how long was he likely to stay and run it? When was Rantaro going to get bored and take off to another country to sightsee and bring back souvenirs and whatever else he could get his hands on? Shuichi thinks no one could blame him for being unsure about the idea at first. 

As it turns out though, Rantaro was pretty invested in this shop idea. And when it opened, people actually came in to buy flowers. Shuichi wasn’t sure why he was so surprised at the time. When had Rantaro ever not been successful at something he’d tried? Pretty much everything was effortless for him. 

Regardless, it’s those thoughts on Shuichi’s mind as he stands at the front of the shop, watering plants and waiting for his first customer of the day to come in. 

He doesn’t have to wait long; after a moment, the door chimes, and Shuichi turns to see a very tall man in a suit and tie walk in, eyes lit up in wonder as he looked around at all the flowers. Shuichi watches him quietly for a moment, taking in the man’s unruly hair and gentle steps up to a potted cactus, which he then stretches his fingers out to touch.

“Ah! Be careful!” Shuichi cautions, because why on Earth would the man think touching a cactus was a good idea? The man whirls around, seemingly surprised that he’s been called out. 

“Oh, good morning! Gonta not see you when he come in!” the man -Gonta?- says with a smile as he waves politely. “Very nice to meet you! Gonta likes your hair!”

Shuichi starts to reach a hand up to hide his face, but given that he’s supposed to be helping this customer out and not hiding from him, he lowers it, face flushing with heat. “A-ah, thank you. I, um, I like your hair, too.”

The man - Gonta, Shuichi reminds himself, smiles happily and hugs himself. “Thank you! Gonta brush it himself.”

Okay. 

“C-can I help you with something? Are you looking for a particular type of flower? Or do you need a bouquet arranged for something?”

Gonta nods once. “Gonta having dinner with family tomorrow, and he want to get flowers for his mom! Gonta not know anything about flowers though, he not sure what ones to pick! There so many… and all so pretty!” 

Shuichi nods, a small smile on his face. “Yeah, I know. If you’d like, we can look through this flower meanings book?” Shuichi suggests, motioning over to the front desk, where nestled beside the cash register and the vase of flowers Shuichi had been messing with, is a big catalog of flowers, and underneath, a book on flower meanings. Shuichi’s pretty sure after a few months of this that he knows fairly well what each flowers’ meanings are, but it never hurts to double check, and of course it’s helpful to show the customer so they don’t think he’s lying to sell a more expensive bouquet or something. 

“Oh! Gonta would appreciate that!”

Shuichi smiles and nods. “Okay, just right over here,” he says, and Gonta follows him over to the desk, watching as Shuichi opens the book and flips through a couple of pages to a section on flowers representing family. “Alright, so you have a lot of options. Are there particular colors you’d prefer? Maybe purple?”

Gonta furrows his brow and quirks his lips as he considers the question, looking at the flowers on the first page of the section, mostly roses, and tulips. Then, Gonta shakes his head. 

“Gonta not think color of flower matter. Just meaning behind it!” he answers, and Shuichi hums as he flips a few pages, passing over tiger lilies and peonies and lilacs. Then, he stops on a page for goldenrods. 

“How about these?” and he turns the book so Gonta can get a good look at the flowers, pointing out the ones he’s referring to. 

“Very pretty!” Gonta enthuses. 

“They’re called goldenrods, and they have a few different meanings. They symbolize encouragement and growth, and they can also bring good luck, allegedly.” Shuichi says, paraphrasing the book. “If you’re interested, I can put together a bouquet of these for you, maybe with some other yellow flowers, too. If you’d like,” he finishes. 

Gonta is quiet for a moment as he thinks over his decision, staring down intensely at the pictures in the book. Then, he looks up at Shuichi with a smile and nods. “Mhm! Gonta like these ones very much!”

“Alright, perfect,” Shuichi replies, happy he could help. “Do you need it now? Or would you rather come back for it tomorrow?”

“Dinner with Gonta’s family is tomorrow, so he come back then!” Gonta answers. “Thank you for helping Gonta pick flowers!”

Shuichi feels the tips of his ears heat up. It was so like him to get flustered just because someone was being nice to him. (Of course, it didn’t help that said person was like 6’6” at _least_ and kind of gorgeous. Shuichi is weak for long legs and a pretty face; he’ll admit it.)

“Of course, I’m glad I could help. Thank you for coming in!” Shuichi says, and Gonta reaches across the desk to take Shuichi’s hands and hold them tightly. 

“Thank you!” he says again, and Shuichi feels like he’s going to die on the spot. And Gonta has very, _very_ large hands. 

“You’re welcome!” Shuichi manages to squeak out before Gonta releases Shuichi’s hands and adjusts his tie, smiling as he says goodbye and exiting the shop, door chime tingling behind him. 

Shuichi stands quietly for a moment, recovering from that interaction. It’s kind of embarrassing how he can’t wait to see Gonta again tomorrow. Just further proof that Kaede was right about him being lonely, though he hates to admit it. Not because he doesn’t like admitting that Kaede is right, because she usually is about most things, aside from her taste in music, anyway. No, it’s more because he doesn’t like admitting that yeah, maybe he _is_ a little lonely in his one bedroom apartment. 

Shuichi isn’t really the type to go on a dating app or anything like that, though, and he isn’t very extroverted either, so clubbing or bars or whatever else is also out of the picture. It’s fine though, he thinks, because he’s used to being alone. And it’s not like he doesn’t have friends, because he does. There’s Rantaro and Kaede, of course, but he also has Kaito and Maki and a few others that he holds close, so he isn’t lacking for attention or care. It’s just…

Well, it’s not like Shuichi has always been single. He’s had partners before. There was one boyfriend, Kokichi, who he’d ended up having to arrest for shoplifting, which had effectively ended that romance. 

Then there was Angie, who broke up with him when he refused to join her cult. (In hindsight, it was baffling to Shuichi that he never seemed to realize that his girlfriend was a cult leader. Sure, her religion had been very strange, but Shuichi supposes he was too wrapped up in _her_ to even think about the implications behind her religion’s points system.) Korekiyo had been a nice boyfriend, too, but they’d both agreed they were better off as friends, and Shuichi was inclined to agree. They both had very shaky mental health, and their bad days together often fueled each other into spirals of self-hate and inevitably, hurting themselves in some way or another. It was very toxic. Shuichi hopes Korekiyo is doing well. 

Shuichi wishes he had been as lucky as Kaito and Kaede, to find their soulmates in high school. Kaede and Rantaro were disgustingly cute together, and Maki and Kaito seemed to get each other in a way that Shuichi could only marvel at. Why couldn’t he find someone who got him like that? Why couldn’t he get it together enough to have a stable, happy relationship? 

Well, dwelling on it at work wasn’t the way to go about fixing it, at any rate. Shuichi huffs and taps his fingers against the desk before he closes the book and moves it underneath the counter. Leave it to him to overthink his love life (or lack thereof) because a pretty, tall guy was nice to him. 

-

The next day, when Gonta comes in, Shuichi smiles softly at him and gives him a small wave. “Good morning,” he says, and Gonta grins and waves back as he approaches the desk. 

“Good morning! Is bouquet ready?” he asks.

Shuichi nods. “One second, let me just get it out of the back,” he says, and then he turns to head into the back room where he’d set the bouquet, full of goldenrods and with a few sprigs of ragweed mixed in. Shuichi picks up the bouquet and brings it out to the front, setting it down on the counter before ringing up Gonta’s total. Gonta pays quickly, grabbing the bouquet and holding it up to take a sniff of the floral arrangement. 

Just then, a little bumble bee buzzes from within the bouquet and bumbles out, bumping the flowers on it’s way out and buzzing past Gonta, who watches in awe. 

“Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry about that!” Shuichi apologizes as if he had any control over this random insect. “Goldenrods attract bees; it’s all the pollen.”

Gonta nods, eyes still following the bee as it buzzes away and out of an open window. 

“It okay! Gonta like bugs. Gonta is actually entomologist!” Gonta says, smiling at Shuichi. 

“Oh,” Shuichi says dumbly. He can’t imagine who in their right mind would like bugs, or even why they would dedicate their career to them, but whatever. To each his own, he supposes. After all, it’s not like he really expected to one day be a florist. 

“Well, Gonta has to go now! Thank you again!” Gonta announces, turning to leave. Shuichi nods and waves goodbye, wishing he had an excuse to ask Gonta to stay longer. That would be ridiculous though, so he does his best to put the thought from his head as he watches Gonta leave, long locks of brown fluttering behind him as he exits. 

“Mm,” Shuichi clamps a hand over his mouth, flushing at the embarrassing noise he made. At least he’s alone, but not for long as Kaede enters the shop. 

“Hey, Shuichi- are you okay?” she cuts herself off as she sees the flush on Shuichi’s face. He shakes his head.

“No, I mean, I’m fine,” he corrects himself, sighing. He crosses his arms on the counter and leans forward. “You aren’t supposed to come in until noon.” He observes. 

“Yeah, yeah, I know. I was coming to ask if you wanted me to pick you up something to eat for when my shift starts? And also, my friend is having a party tomorrow, and I wanted to know if you could come?”

Shuichi shakes his head. “Why not?” Kaede pouts. 

“Which friend? And why isn’t Rantaro going?” Shuichi asks instead. Kaede smiles brightly. 

“It’s Miu, isn’t it.” It’s not even a question at this point. 

“She’s throwing a party for Kiibo, isn’t that nice? Rantaro doesn’t want to go because he knows Miu is going to get trashed and be obnoxious, but I don’t want to go alone! Please, Shuichi? Please, please, please?” she pleads, hands clasped together in front of her. She bats her eyes a couple of times for good measure. 

Shuichi frowns and looks away. “I don’t know, Kaede…”

“Come oooon!” she encourages, and when Shuichi looks back up, she’s smiling at him, eyebrows quirked in compassion. “I know you don’t have anything better to do.”

“That’s-!”

“Completely true, and you know it. You’re going to sit at home, alone, drinking wine and watching murder mysteries. Am I right?”

Shuichi doesn’t bother dignifying that with a response. She wasn’t completely wrong, is the thing. She was wrong about the wine though, murder mysteries were best paired with chocolate. The wine was reserved for when he was in his feelings, listening to American emo bands that he swears up and down that he’d stopped listening to after high school. 

“Okay,” he agrees softly, and she claps happily. 

-

What do you even wear to a party? Shuichi wonders that as he looks through his closet, a mess of button downs and slacks, a few pairs of tight black skinny jeans from high school that he can kinda squeeze into if he tries hard enough, and band shirts that he wears mostly as pajamas. Nothing really seems to be screaming, “Pick me! Pick me!”

Shuichi considers what he already has on, a white button down with the sleeves rolled up, and black slacks. It’s practically identical to half the clothes in his closet already, and he wonders when he got this boring. Still, he supposes it will have to do, and it’s better for him to be comfortable, if not that stylish than it is for him to be uncomfortable and good looking. After all, this was going to be a Miu Iruma party. And it’s not like there was going to be anyone there that he felt like he needed to impress. 

With that in mind, Shuichi sighs and shuts his closet. Why was he even going to this party? He hardly knows Kiibo, and he could certainly go without seeing Miu again. Kaede would obviously forgive him for not wanting to go because if anyone knows what Shuichi’s like, it’s Kaede. She’d understand if he told her that he wasn’t feeling up to it because Kaede always understood when he was down, and she’d always been there for him, ever since they met, and even up through the worst of Shuichi’s depression, even through-

Shuichi swallows, shakes his head. No sense in thinking about that, he supposes. That was years ago, and he was better now. He still had rough spots, but he wasn’t going to try to do _that_ again. Probably. Maybe. No, definitely. He was happy. He was better, he was-

He was going to be late if he didn’t hurry up and make up his mind already. 

He spares a final glance at his closet as he leaves his bedroom, heading out into the living room to turn off the lights as he gets ready to leave. 

-

Kaede is waiting for him outside Miu and Kiibo’s house, and the music inside is already thumping loudly through the building, enough so that even standing outside on the sidewalk, he can hear it. He wonders if they should all be doing this, considering their ages. Hangovers were nowhere near as easy to bounce back from like they’d been when they were teens and in their early twenties. Now, Shuichi was lucky if he didn’t feel like he needed to have to take a week off work just to recover after one glass of wine. Maybe he should see a doctor. Maybe he should stop drinking. Maybe, maybe, maybe. 

“Hey, there you are! I was starting to think you wouldn’t come!” Kaede said, taking Shuichi’s hand and pulling up up the steps to the house, and walking right in, tugging him along. 

Shuichi closes the door behind himself, looking around at the swarm of people in the house. This party is supposed to be for Kiibo, but Shuichi thinks that maybe Miu threw it more for herself, because as far as Shuichi knows, Kiibo isn’t the partying type. At least, not parties like this. 

“I’m going to get us some drinks, you wait right here!” she says, or really, yells, because the music is very loud. And also not particularly good, but that’s just his opinion. 

He waits right there by the door though, as Kaede requested. He only moves when someone shoves past him angrily, exiting the house. Well, Kaede would be able to find him even if he didn’t stay there, it’s not like she couldn’t figure out where he’d go. 

Shuichi takes the steps upstairs two at a time, just to get past everyone as quickly as possible without drawing any attention to himself. Upstairs, there isn’t anyone in the hall, and when he opens Miu’s room, a couple is making out on her bed. They don’t notice him, so he shuts the door and keeps walking down the hall, towards Kiibo’s room. 

When he opens the door, the only person in the room turns away from where they’re looking at a few pictures on Kiibo’s wall to face Shuichi. “Oh,” Shuichi says softly, his cheeks warming. 

“Hello! It very nice to see you again!” Gonta says, waving. He’s wearing a suit, so Shuichi supposes that’s just how he likes to dress. “You friend of Miu’s?”

“Kind of,” Shuichi half-lies. He didn’t particularly like Miu, but he’d also never really made the effort to get to know her either. “Um, sorry. If you wanted to be alone, I can leave-” and he starts to back up and shut the door, but Gonta stops him. 

“No, that okay! You no have to leave!” And Shuichi wonders vaguely why Gonta talks like that. Not that he minds it, and it’d be rude to ask, but it is peculiar and he wishes he knew more about him. Especially now that he knows this gentle giant is somehow associated with Miu Iruma, of all people. 

“Gonta just get… overwhelmed. By noise. So he come up here for a while. It quieter.”

Shuichi nods, fully stepping into the room now, and closing the door behind him. “It is,” he agrees. “I usually come upstairs at these kinds of parties. I don’t deal well with noise, or with people, I guess.” Gonta nods and brushes a strand of hair out of his face. 

“How do you know Miu?” Shuichi decides to ask. 

“Gonta’s friend introduce us!” he says, smiling. “She set us up on date!”

Shuichi feels his heart sink, and that makes him feel awful because it’s such a stupid reaction. It’s not like he even had a chance with Gonta in the first place, and just because he might be straight doesn’t mean he should be _upset_. For God’s sake, he barely knows the man. 

“Oh, so you two are together?” he asks politely. He’d thought that Miu would eventually end up with Kiibo since the two cared so much about each other. 

Gonta shakes his head. “No, date was fun! But Gonta not really interested in Miu romantically.”

“Oh,” Shuichi breathes out. 

Gonta nods, and his eyes flick down to the floor, a small smile on his face. Then, he looks up, suddenly distressed. “Gonta is so sorry!”

“W-what?” Shuichi stutters out. As far as he knows, Gonta has nothing to apologize for. 

“Gonta not ask your name! That very rude of Gonta. Gonta is sorry! Not very gentlemanly.” He admonishes himself before he smiles at Shuichi again, a little sadly. 

“O-oh, n-no! It’s fine, I guess I never, ah, introduced myself,” Shuichi says, face flushing. “My name is Shuichi Saihara.”

Gonta tilts his head, brows quirking. “Shuichi?” he asks, and Shuichi nods.

“You Kaede’s friend?” Shuichi nods again, surprised that Gonta somehow knows her. “I thought Shuichi was detective? But you work in flower shop?”

Ah, Shuichi didn’t realize that his reputation would precede him like this. What a wild situation he’s found himself in. “I, uh, quit. Being a detective, that is. It was… not right for me. Very stressful. I much prefer working at the flower shop,” he explains, perhaps unnecessarily. Gonta nods. 

“Flowers are prettier,” Gonta comments idly, and Shuichi doesn’t ask what they’re prettier than, but he can only imagine. 

Then, the door opens, and they both turn to face Kaede as she pokes her head through. “There you are!” she exclaims, opening the door wider to let herself in. “Oh, hello Gonta!” she says happily, greeting him. Gonta smiles and greets her back just as joyfully. 

“So you met Gonta?” she asks Shuichi, and Shuichi and Gonta both nod. 

“Well, I just wanted to come to check on you, since you weren’t waiting by the door like you said you would,” and she glares at him teasingly. “But it looks like you’re okay. I’m going to try to wrangle Miu into bed, and find wherever Kiibo is hiding. Then we can go, okay? I don’t really want to stay any longer,” she finishes. 

“That’s fine,” he replies. 

“Alright, I’m gonna go look for them now. I’ll be back!” she promises, and then she’s gone again, leaving Gonta and Shuichi in silence once more. 

“Kaede is very nice!” Gonta says, and Shuichi nods, turning to look at him. 

“She is,” Shuichi replies. Then, for lack of anything to do until Kaede returns, Shuichi sits down on Kiibo’s bed, and Gonta sits beside him. 

“Did your mom like the bouquet?” he asks softly. 

Gonta nods, but he doesn’t say anything else, eyes focused on his lap. “Gonta?”

He blinks and looks up, turning to Shuichi. “Oh, yes! She like bouquet! But…” Gonta frowns and looks away. “Dinner not go so well.” 

Shuichi frowns at that. “What do you mean?” 

Gonta looks like he’s deciding if he should tell Shuichi or not, and Shuichi realizes that he’s prying into what is, essentially, a stranger’s private life. “I’m sorry, you don’t have to answer-”

“No, it fine. Gonta just… sad. Because Gonta’s family not approve of his career.”

That’s… well, Shuichi doesn’t know what he was expecting. “They don’t?”

Gonta shakes his head. “No, Gonta’s family very famous and respected. They think Gonta should have more respectable job becoming of gentleman. But! Gonta think entomology very becoming! But Gonta’s family disagree.”

“Oh, I’m sorry Gonta,” and he is, truly, because it sounds awful. What does someone’s career have to do with being a gentleman? It doesn’t make sense to him, at least, but he doesn’t know Gonta’s family. Hell, he barely knows his own family, he hasn’t talked to his parents in years, and his relationship with his uncle has been strained since he left the detective agency. 

Gonta nods and starts to say something else when the door bursts open, Kaede helping Kiibo carry a completely wasted Miu into the room. Gonta and Shuichi stand up quickly, and Shuichi wipes his palms against his sides, stepping out of the way so they can maneuver Miu onto Kiibo’s bed. 

“Ugh,” Kiibo groans as Miu flops onto the bed, rolling over so she can grin up lecherously at Gonta. 

“Hey, tree dick!” she slurs. “Why don’t you come keep me warm, huh?”

“Oh, okay!” Gonta says, and he starts to climb into the bed with Miu, but Kaede stops him. 

“Thank you for your help, Kaede, but I can take care of her from here,” Kiibo says, frowning down at Miu, who waggles her eyebrows at him. 

“Don’t be jealous, Kiibs, I can definitely take two at once, ya know?” she starts laughing, which turns into coughing, and then, she throws up on herself. Kiibo looks like he wants to die more than anything. Shuichi can relate. 

“You sure you’ve got her?” Kaede asks, watching Miu stare up at the ceiling, eyes clearly moving with the way her world is spinning, seemingly unbothered by the vomit on herself and Kiibo’s bed. 

“Yeah, she’d rather I be the one to take care of her anyway, she’ll be embarrassed when she remembers this,” he answers, and then he smiles wryly at the three of them, standing awkwardly. “It’s okay, you guys can go.”

Thank God, Shuichi thinks, but he waits until Kaede makes her move towards the door first, before he follows, Gonta trailing behind him. 

Gonta closes the door behind him, and Shuichi sighs. 

“Well, I think that’s enough excitement for me,” Kaede says, and Shuichi agrees. The three walk down the stairs together, and out onto Miu’s front porch, where Kaede pulls out her phone to call Rantaro. While it’s ringing, she addresses Shuichi. “Are you going home?”

“Yeah, probably. It’s late, and your boyfriend has me working mornings, so.”

Kaede nods. Then, Rantaro picks up, and her eyes light up. Shuichi turns away, towards Gonta, who is watching them quietly with a soft smile on his face. Shuichi’s heart thumps loudly in his chest, and he wonders if Gonta can hear it. 

“Um,” he starts awkwardly. He scoffs at himself and ducks his head down, wringing his hands. He looks up after a second, and Gonta is still smiling at him.

“Shuichi is very pretty!” Gonta says, and Shuichi ducks his head again. 

“A-ah, thank you. You’re very handsome, Gonta.”

Gonta grins at him, and then he brushes a piece of hair out of his face and pushes his glasses up before he goes on. “Would Shuichi like to get breakfast with Gonta?”

Shuichi feels his breath hitch, and he nods. “Like, like as friends? Or,” and Gonta cuts him off. 

“Like a date! Only if Shuichi is okay with it, of course! Gonta not want to pressure Shuichi!” he says. 

Shuichi can’t believe his luck. He breathes out, breath stuttering as he nods again. “I’d like that.”

**Author's Note:**

> sorry, i know i should be working on to the groom to the bride, but you know, [shrugs]. anyway, im marking this as complete but tbh i could see myself writing more for this, because i think the concept is cute. idk. we'll see. thank you so much for reading!!


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